Shared Lives schemes are designed to support adults with learning disabilities, mental health problems, or other needs that make it harder for them to live on their own. The schemes match an adult who has care needs with an approved Shared Lives carer. These carers share their family and community life, and give care and support to the adult with care needs.
Shared Lives schemes are available across the country and are an alternative to traditional kinds of care, such as care homes.
More information
- NHS Choices
- This article from The Guardian gives a good overview to the scheme
- Shared Lives Plus is the charity which represents shared lives schemes
Our Shared Lives scheme in South Tees
We’re part of a shared lives scheme in South Tees. It’s run by social care charity Avalon, with Middlesbrough Council and South Tees Clinical Commissioning Group as partners too.
Avalon websiteAre you interested in living with a family?
Shared Lives is built on flexibility, personalisation and most importantly family. You decide what best suits your needs, whether that be a few days respite, a short-break, a day service or a full-time living arrangement.
If you have a care need, be it a learning disability, dementia, physical disability or mental health need, Shared Lives provides a wonderful alternative to more traditional methods of care.
As part of a Shared Lives family you can expect to become a valued, active member of the local community, with the opportunity to pursue all of your passions and interests, whilst also learning new skills and experiencing new and exciting things as you take part in all the activities your Shared Lives family enjoys.
Sharing a home, family and community life with a shared lives carer as part of a shared lives scheme will allow you to get to know and bond with the person who will consistently provide your support.
Some people will move in with their shared lives carer. Others, including people with dementia, for instance, will be regular daytime visitors, while some will combine daytime and overnight visits. Before support starts, you will get to know the shared lives carer and decide whether you want to spend time together.
Sometimes people use a shared lives scheme as a way of learning the skills they need to live independently, and to help them put down roots in their area or community before moving into a place of their own.
See how Shared Lives has given three people in the Wirral a lovely life:
Graham and Lorna and the three ladies who live with them talk about their lives:
Thea and Lucy explain why Shared Lives works so well for them:
Are you interested in being a Shared Lives carer?
Do you have room in your heart and home to support someone with care needs?
Under the Shared Lives scheme, paid carers offer adults with disabilities or a health condition a place to live in their home as part of their family. This includes long and short term placements as well as short breaks, respite and day services.
If you consider yourself to be a caring and reliable person, with room in your home, and would like to help adults to live fulfilling lives, our Shared Lives provider, Avalon, wants to hear from you. No previous care experience is necessary as full training is provided.
Our Shared Lives scheme is led by Avalon Group, an award-winning charity and leading provider of social care across the North of England. Carers can receive self-employed status, monthly payments, an income tax-free incentive up to £25,000 and access to award-winning training opportunities.
For more information and to register your interest in becoming a Shared Lives carer, please contact Avalon’s Teesside team on 01642 633556 or email [email protected]
Sarah Wood from York talks about being a Shared Lives carer:
Are you a professional working with someone who might benefit from Shared Lives in the South Tees area?
If you know someone you feel would benefit from a Shared Lives placement as an alternative to other types of care, our Shared Lives provider, Avalon, wants to hear from you.
You don’t need to make a full referral or be certain about eligibility up front; the team will be happy to discuss and share more information with you to help. In general, they are looking for people who receive or will be receiving Continuing Health Care or a jointly funded package of care i.e. their care will be part funded by the NHS.
At this stage, they are also particularly focusing on adults (or young people in transition to adult services) with learning disabilities and/or autism.
For more information or to begin a dialogue about a potential referral, please contact Avalon’s Teesside team:
Tel: 01642 633556
Email: [email protected]
